The 1929 Denver Water Board Inspection Train Photos

[Jim Courtney]

Does anyone know if the complete collection of C&S company photos of the Denver Water Board Inspection exists in one place?  If so are they available in digital format?

Over the years, from the Pictorial Supplement, to Digerness's The Mineral Belt series, to Mal Ferrel's book and most recently in the Klingers' three outstanding books, these photos show up willey-nilley, out of order--some here, some there.

If the complete collection didn't survive, I've been contemplating going through all my books, scanning every photo I can find involving the inspection special, then posting them in geographical order by milepost. I think it would be facinating to have a sense of what the railroad looked like in the winter of 1929, from Denver to Leadville to Alma and back.

Is there any interest in this project?  Would other's be willing to post good resolution copies of such photos if you have them?

Much like the "Timeline", I could start by posting the photos I have, in order, and as new photos are submitted, I can then edit the original post, inserting new images in order as they are contributed.

It occurs to me that the finished compilation might make a good blog posting: "Riding the South Park by Special Train in 1929", or some such.

What do ya'll think?

Jim

[Don Pacetti]

Sounds like an awesome idea. I think I have a few that Bob Schoppe gave me...I'll look.

[Jeff Ramsey]

The library at the Colorado Railroad Museum has a special collection box of numbered original prints of the inspection of the railroad by the Denver Water Department. Also the Denver Water Department still has a extensive photo collection and from what little that I have seen has numerous unpublished images of C&S ROW and equipment. It is worth visiting if you are in Denver and near the former D&RGW Burnham shops near 6th avenue.

[South Park]

  Is it too late to ask the Water Board to run this train during the fall for better
lighting and using color film to capture the turning aspens ?  

[Norm Acker]

A few years back I spent some time down at the Water Board looking over the drawings and photos in their archives area. I was specifically looking for pictures of the Waterton depot and information on the power house at Intake (I have a set of drawings of that and the Kassler buildings that I hope to model someday). They were very helpful and prints and CDR of images I found were priced reasonably. I'll reach out and see if they have a specific group of those photos. And while I'm working at the Museum on Saturday I'll try to pop into the library and see what's there as well. I'll report my findings when I learn more.

[Jeff Young]

I look forward to your report.  It’d be great if some new stuff came to light.

Cheers,
Jeff.

[Jim Courtney]

I've been scanning DWB photos from many of my out of print books and resizing them. Nothing else to do, the rain up here just keeps coming down outside, with the occasional blow off the Gulf of Alaska.

Some of the scans aren't all that great.  Ill try to start a new thread with introduction, and the first 20 or so images.

Then like the "Timeline", if others have photos to contribute, they can post them below, I will copy, resize and insert them into the geographical order of the Special's trip by mile post number.

Perhaps our Moderator can periodically delete those lower posts so they do not become redundant.

Darel, can this thread be made into a Stickey if I start it, or do you have to create it first?

Jim

[South Park]

  Jim,

  Is there any particular reason you live in a swamp ?  

  I did 30 years "hard time" in and around the wet side and one day it
occurred to me that no one was holding a gun to my head, making me
stay ....  and I left !

  Between the 600 days of rain per year, the traffic and stunt drivers, the
exhorbitant real estate costs, and the neverending dark and grey gloom,
it makes me shudder !  How I wish I had those 30 years back !  

[Jim Courtney]

Oh, its not that bad.  I'm just griping because we've had an unusually wet winter, a record in fact.

When the sun comes out, and it will in a week or two, this is a very beautiful place to live.  We have a little farm overlooking the Hood Canal and the Olympics.  I get to ride across the Sound to work on a ferry, instead of being stuck on the freeways in first gear.

Besides, at my age it's hard for a physician to pull up and move to another state, re-credentialing for new hospitals is pretty difficult.
I will likely stay here, at least until I can retire.

Jim

[South Park]

  This is a terrible hijack ...  I promise to stop after this one question ...  how long in the Seattle ?

[Jim Courtney]

Internship, Seattle Children's Hospital, 1977-1978.

Moved up here from Texas in the Spring of 2003--12th consecutive winter.

And lookie-here, the sun is out today.

[South Park]

  Getting back on track ...  I have always loved the shot taken off the back of
the train at Dome Rock station, but wish it wasn't so dark and gloomy.  That
is such a pretty section along the track there, but it is so hard to see what would
otherwise show up on a bright and sunny day.